What if fans started picking and choosing games like the teams do?
If fans only bothered for the last 3 games of the year, you would soon see clubs voting against a playoff system as their main source of income, the season ticket drains away.

It's a catch 22 though as fans will never turn their backs on the clubs and will still turn up week in and week out even if the coaches and the players do not.

It's a dangerous game though that RL is playing. But if it pays off then it does mean more money overall for the game, but fans have to live with the best not nessasarily being champions. The CC is a knockout competition but includes all teams not just the top 8 of SL. If the playoffs are valid to justify a champion team, then the CC is more so as it includes all teams from all divisions, so is a better measure of a team.

If this gamble does not payoff, fans could become disallusioned with the regular season and then clubs would really feel the pain.

Never forget though the entire system is voted for by the clubs right down to club call that most people deride, yet when the clubs voted on it only one club voted against.

Sorry for the spelling but it's late.

It's hardly SW's fault that being the most consistent team over an entire season counts for nothing. He did his job during the regular season to the best of his ability, just failed in losing two semi-finals.

Repeat sets! I'd like to see us try this at least once. Last tackle options were shocking throughout the whole game!

What you're all saying is nonsense, 2 years ago we won the league and the grand final, not like it's some unwritten rule that you only play for one, we just weren't good enough on the night, nothing to do with us 'peaking' at different points, Leeds won by a last minute penalty! Farrell doesn't run into the bloke and we're celebrating getting to the grand final, it's the tiniest of margins that wins and loses games, get over it, the 'reasons' some people come up with is total garbage

Once again in English please!

We haven't played well for weeks.

We don't deserve to win trophies at the moment.

Wigan has been built with cup wins.

The team that finishes top of the league are the CHAMPIONS, nothing less. The Champions should then enter the grand final of the playoffs automatically with the other teams playing each other to see who gets to meet them, the winners are then crowned playoff winners not the Champions. Scrap the hub cap and give the champions of the league a proper trophy, Wigan are this seasons CHAMPIONS and nothing should take that acolade from them.

Well not getting to the Grand Final and becoming Champions sorta does!

Correct. Agree with the playoffs or not, we all knew the rules.

Shaun wane is not, and never will be a "Wigan coach" because he has no class. He talks complete rubbish to the press, gives it the whole "I'm from Wigan" cr@p that everybody is bored of, and then gets out coached time after time in big games.

No intelligence, no class, and he"ll take us backwards in the next 5 years. Watch this space

Jesus! Wigan finished top of the league under wane and made it to the challenge cup final, I think some need to chill!

If you was crowned champions for finishing top them maybe Warrington wotldnt have rested players in a number of games but at the end if the day Wigan was the most consistsnt team and that's not bad for his first year.

However, he mad a massive mistake in picking young murphy in such a high pressure game.

That's a bit harsh on Shaun Wane. Yes he has made some mistakes this season in the eyes of the fans. But when he and his chairman sat down at the start of the season they probably agreed that to end up top of the league was number one priority. Shaun Wane says that he wants to win every game - so he always fielded his strongest team (but only on paper). I think that it is clear that no one team has the strength in depth to win everything under the present salary cap. Shaun just needs to understand that and coach accordingly. Given our present roster changes I believe that we will see what he is really capable of come this time next year.

Did we?

I presume you are of vintage years ?

I share your historical memories too, for thats how it used to be.

Its not like that now though, your achievement at finishing top of the league has been greatly devalued by Sky, and ironically, it was your old chairman who brokered the deal all those years ago.

Absolutely correct.